Curriculum
All students should access knowledge, understanding and skills drawn from the Australian Curriculum. If adjustments to curriculum are required, then teachers, in consultation with students and parents or carers, consider the cognitive expectations above or below the enrolled year level. Teachers use their understanding of the content to structure coherent, sequenced teaching and learning programs for all students. Teachers can then deliver meaningful and balanced content.
Ways to use the curriculum to plan for the diversity of students include:
- adjusting the scope of content using the Foundation to Year 10 sequence
- using the general capabilities and cross-curriculum priorities to enrich the content of the learning areas, where most appropriate and authentic, allowing students to engage with and better understand their world.
For more information see Curriculum planning questions
Abilities
Teaching students with a range of learning abilities and interests requires a deep understanding of each student and how they learn best. Consulting with students, other teachers within the school and their parents/carers by exploring past planning results will help achieve this. When personalising learning, teachers need to respond to the different ways that students receive and comprehend information. For example, students with sensory disabilities (e.g. blindness or deafness), cognitive disabilities (e.g. dysgraphia) or English as an additional language or dialect (EAL/D) may require curriculum content to be presented to them in different formats (text, simplified text, visual and/or audio forms, or in their home language).
Student engagement is an essential part of the teaching and learning process, and students differ greatly in how they engage with the learning process. Factors that may influence a student’s level of engagement include preferred ways of learning, prior experiences, special interests and personalised goals. There is no single way to motivate or engage all students that will be optimal in all contexts; providing a variety of options is essential.
For more information see Abilities planning questions
Standards
The Australian Curriculum achievement standards are the reference point for assessing and reporting on all students’ learning from Foundation to Year 10. The achievement standards describe what students should typically demonstrate by the end of the year or band level. Schools are required to assess and report on the achievement and progress of each student. The CASE model calls for teachers to assess student progress in relation to aspect(s) of the achievement standards.
Knowing that students have preferences and strengths for the way they communicate their learning (e.g. oral, written and/or visual), teachers should consider providing multiple ways for students to demonstrate the full extent of what it is they know, understand and can do.
Acknowledging success is an important and ongoing component in the CASE steps. Students with diverse learning needs benefit from positive acknowledgement and this contributes greatly to future engagement and potential learning pathways.
Note: Requirements for assessment and reporting may differ across states and territories.
For more information see Standards planning questions
Evaluation
The actions taken to personalise student learning through the CASE model should be evaluated and monitored on a regular basis. This should be done in consultation with the student and their parents or carers along with other key stakeholders.
Evaluation processes help to determine whether the adjustments have been effective. The evaluation process should also determine whether the student’s individual learning goals have been achieved, and what actions may still be required. If adjustments have not met their intended purpose, teachers collaboratively inquire about why these supports have been ineffective and consider alternatives.
For more information see Evaluation planning questions
